Chapter 37 : Collision
If there was anything at St. Freya’s that Ailiya genuinely praised, it was the academy’s cafeteria.
In her eyes, it was the capital’s greatest invention.
Even in a place like St. Freya’s, where nobles roamed and the air reeked of decadent wealth, the cafeteria miraculously blended “affordable” and “luxurious”—two words that rarely coexisted.
Compared to the capital’s restaurants, where a meal cost her days’ worth of living expenses, the food here was not only delicious but so budget-friendly it brought tears to her eyes.
This was her sanctuary, where her empty wallet and picky taste buds found solace.
To thrive in this paradise, Ailiya had honed her survival instincts, thoroughly researching the dining system.
The academy had three main cafeterias, each tied to a teaching zone; the closest to her classroom was the “Second Rose Garden Cafeteria.”
The best value was Window One’s “Troll Roast Combo”—hearty and filling.
Every day at 12:30 p.m., each cafeteria offered a limited special dish, often high-end fare rarely seen otherwise.
Peak dining hours were ten to thirty minutes after classes ended.
Hmph! I’ve got all this intel jotted down in my trusty notepad! Ailiya thought smugly. Master the information, master your life!
Though she wasn’t sure how knowing which cafeteria had the best drumsticks related to mastering life…
Today’s special was “Roasted Phoenix Wings,” limited to two portions per person.
From past experience, this dish, with its grandiose name, vanished within half an hour of class dismissal.
To secure those wings—her ticket to a day of bliss—Ailiya had to move early and claim prime territory!
Unlike the noble ladies, who moved in slow-motion elegance, Ailiya had an unmatched advantage: I can run, hehe!
The moment the dismissal bell rang, she shot through the corridor like an arrow, weaving past “moving obstacles.”
“So crude, rushing like she’s reincarnating.”
“Commoners, no grace at all.”
“Sorry, gotta eat!” Ailiya retorted in her head. Elegance doesn’t fill stomachs!
But as she neared the final turn, a piercing gaze stabbed from behind.
Heart lurching, she glanced back to see Liliane under a colonnade with student council members, her familiar “kind” smile fixed on Ailiya.
After yesterday’s hellish ordeal, that smile triggered nightmares vivid enough to wake her screaming.
Her body reacted instantly.
Skidding to a halt, Ailiya straightened her back, clasped her hands demurely, and shuffled forward in stiff, noble-maid steps, eyes fixed ahead.
She looked like a half-thawed zombie fresh from a grave.
Only after rounding the corner, out of Liliane’s lethal gaze, did she revert, sprinting again.
Just one more corridor, and the Second Rose Garden Cafeteria is mine!
But then, a classroom door swung open, and a petite figure stepped out.
Unable to dodge, Ailiya collided with her, both crashing to the floor with a dull thud.
“Ouch!”
Rubbing her sore arm, Ailiya scrambled up, ready to apologize.
But when she saw the girl’s face, she froze.
A delicate face, chestnut hair cascading softly over her shoulders, dressed in a faded but spotless old-style uniform.
Her features weren’t as striking as Liliane’s, but together they exuded a comforting warmth, especially her honey-colored eyes, clear as a deer’s.
This face… I’ve seen it before.
“Ailiya?” The girl, clutching her bumped head, looked up after a moment, surprised. “You’re Ailiya, right?”
“You know me?” Ailiya asked, curious.
The girl stood, shyly adjusting her clothes. “We’ve… met like this before. I bumped into you last time, remember?”
Ailiya touched the soft lump on her forehead, the familiar pain jogging her memory—an evening after the entrance exam.
“You’re… Sylvie?”
Sylvie’s face lit up at her name, hands clasping in delight. “You remembered! I’m so glad!”
Remembered? Oh, I remember.
The name triggered a bolded line from Aurora’s booklet:
[The Rose of St. Freya, Protagonist—Sylvie.]
No way it’s this coincidental, right?
Ailiya’s eyebrow twitched, a bad feeling rising.
“Ailiya,” Sylvie said, “are you heading to the Second Rose Garden Cafeteria? I’m going there too. Want to go together?”
“I…”
Ailiya’s instincts screamed to refuse.
Get tangled with the game’s protagonist? No way! Let Aurora, that hyperactive nutcase, handle world-saving nonsense. I just need to pay off my million gold coins and reclaim my freedom!
How to decline? Say Liliane fell off the carriage and sent me for painkillers?
No, too absurd! If Liliane caught her using her as an excuse, she’d be toilet plunger material!
Just be direct—say she’s busy.
Sylvie’s gentle kindness would surely understand.
But as Ailiya met Sylvie’s hopeful smile, she noticed something off.
Sylvie’s hands gripped her skirt tightly, knuckles white, her body trembling slightly—nervous or scared.
Then Ailiya realized: the usual hostile stares aimed at her were now split, many fixed on Sylvie with suspicion, disdain, and resentment—the noble ladies’ specialty.
Ailiya reassessed Sylvie.
Right.
Per Aurora, Sylvie, the story’s protagonist, was a true commoner from a coastal fishing village in Tartaglia.
Unlike Ailiya, who had the Winter family’s name as a shield, Sylvie was defenseless.
As a commoner who aced the entrance exam and took first place, she was a blatant affront to the proud noble girls.
Bullying a commoner was child’s play for them.
Especially since Sylvie lived in a room cleared from noble dorms.
If she crossed someone like Clarissa…
Her fear made sense.
Ailiya brushed her bangs, sighing inwardly.
Lifting her head, she forced a smile. “Sure, I’m heading there too. Let’s go!”
“Great!” Sylvie nodded brightly, her honey eyes sparkling with newfound light.